WTT Star Contender Lanzhou 2023

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I'm not sure why you are using speculation to replace data. USATT players like Ma Jinbao who are 2700 are clearly world class (you don't beat Kou Lei or Eugene Wang without being world class). Jishan Liang who is a notch below did beat Drinkhall in the US. A lot does come down to specific things not entirely captured by rating, but if you are 2700+, you can play almost anywhere in the world, maybe not at the very top. 2800+ is world class, even if only for day.

thanks for your answer,
i'm not sure if he would understand what is 2700

Chuang once said (I guess it was around 15 years ago), he never ever had an easy game when facing a Chinese provincial player.

Ma just beaten Chuang's top prodigy.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Quek is going to be a top 20 player barring injury, I don't get the dismay.

Yes, he should.
I don't know him, but one of the coaches in my circle knows him very well.
The coach saw Quek train around 5 years ago at the Singapore table tennis school when he took a bunch of kids to train there.
Quek was a top prospectus and he is very happy that 2023 is turning out pretty good for him.

 

[NextLevel]

thanks for your answer,
i'm not sure if he would understand what is 2700

Chuang once said (I guess it was around 15 years ago), he never ever had an easy game when facing a Chinese provincial player.

Ma just beaten Chuang's top prodigy.

The only thing is that as they stay on tour longer, their style becomes known so they become easier to play. I also feel that Kao's youth worked against him a bit. But Jinbao has been at the top of US TT long enough to know he is legit - I think he still goes back to China to keep himself sharp.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

The only thing is that as they stay on tour longer, their style becomes known so they become easier to play. I also feel that Kao's youth worked against him a bit. But Jinbao has been at the top of US TT long enough to know he is legit - I think he still goes back to China to keep himself sharp.

Kao to me is still up and down.
Many of Taiwans top prospectus all have up and down.
Huang did pretty good, loosing 2-3 to ZQH.
Feng is in Germany now and his results is not as good as last year.

I was just talking to one of the senior coaches few hours ago on how we (Taiwan) are developing juniors and can dominate in the junior (now called youth) circuit. But the shift to seniors, and international (against foreigners) is just too inconsistent.
This is way more obvious and noticeable in the girls/women section.

and not to mention the amount of funding Taiwanese players have is way more than few years ago - in terms of the different levels (source) of funding, and more players can get funding. So you can even see u11 and u13 going out and play in WTT events.

 

[NextLevel]

Yes, he should.
I don't know him, but one of the coaches in my circle knows him very well.
The coach saw Quek train around 5 years ago at the Singapore table tennis school when he took a bunch of kids to train there.
Quek was a top prospectus and he is very happy that 2023 is turning out pretty good for him.

He played very well at Singapore Smash (beat Falck) and Bobrow, who has travelled a lot and is familiar with these players much earlier than most of us, said that Quek has the "it" factor, when you know a player is destined for big things. Regardless, Alexis is not so good that a player capable of beating Falck cannot beat Alexis on a good day. Quek is only 17, so there is still a lot of growth left.

 

[turbozed]

thanks for your answer,
i'm not sure if he would understand what is 2700

Chuang once said (I guess it was around 15 years ago), he never ever had an easy game when facing a Chinese provincial player.

Ma just beaten Chuang's top prodigy.

I've seen Ma Jinbao playing in the USA tournaments and he looked pretty good, but I don't recall him looking as good as he did just now against Kao.

Like Majin Buu, I guess he has many forms.

This is also the first time I think I've seen a USA men's player in the R16 of a contender level event for a very long time. How long has it been?

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

He played very well at Singapore Smash (beat Falck) and Bobrow, who has travelled a lot and is familiar with these players much earlier than most of us, said that Quek has the "it" factor, when you know a player is destined for big things. Regardless, Alexis is not so good that a player capable of beating Falck cannot beat Alexis on a good day. Quek is only 17, so there is still a lot of growth left.

yeah, the coach said the same thing with that IT factor.
Alexis needs to seek professional assistant in regards to handling his emotions. Its not the first time he is loosing control during a match and after a match.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I've seen Ma Jinbao playing in the USA tournaments and he looked pretty good, but I don't recall him looking as good as he did just now against Kao.

Like Majin Buu, I guess he has many forms.

This is also the first time I think I've seen a USA men's player in the R16 of a contender level event for a very long time. How long has it been?

I thought easy one for Kao...
How wrong am I.

 

[NextLevel]

I've seen Ma Jinbao playing in the USA tournaments and he looked pretty good, but I don't recall him looking as good as he did just now against Kao.

Like Majin Buu, I guess he has many forms.

This is also the first time I think I've seen a USA men's player in the R16 of a contender level event for a very long time. How long has it been?

You've watched his matches against Kou Lei?

 

[turbozed]

I thought easy one for Kao...
How wrong am I.

It really was looking that way in the first game.

From the 2nd game on, Kao was having a hard time on serve receive putting the return high enough where Ma was spraying the 3rd ball wherever he wanted and putting heavy pressure on. That was enough to stay close in games, but Ma had to pull out some spectacular shots and win rallies against the more athletic Kao to actually win. Wonder if this performance is a result of some breakthrough in training or skill acquisition, or if it's a bit of an outlier. Either way, Ma looked pretty good.

 

[NextLevel]

I was just talking to one of the senior coaches few hours ago on how we (Taiwan) are developing juniors and can dominate in the junior (now called youth) circuit. But the shift to seniors, and international (against foreigners) is just too inconsistent.
This is way more obvious and noticeable in the girls/women section.

I think it is a universal problem, how to know what skills transition well and what skills take more time. Because some things that work at the junior levels don't translate as well to the senior level.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I think it is a universal problem, how to know what skills transition well and what skills take more time. Because some things that work at the junior levels don't translate as well to the senior level.

Chuang case is very special (referring to Kao)
Chuang has been taking a few, and different kids with him on tour over the years.
To be his sparing partner, and some times, even sit court side.

Basically, Chuang is a player and a coach, and bringing kids with on tour serves both.
And Chuang is also a great mentor too.
Just the other day I saw an interview, saying 42 year old and 22 year Lin....20 year gap... what can they talk about.
Chuang replied, Lin talks to me about cars, of what car I should buy....etc... lol

This was after the bronze doubles medal. and when Chuang got his previous bronze double medal, Lin was only 5 years old

 

[SFF_lib]

7 out if the 16 men are Chinese. Any upset seems difficult.

If any upset happens, who is mostly likely?

 

[TensorBackhand]

7 out if the 16 men are Chinese. Any upset seems difficult.

If any upset happens, who is mostly likely?

Harimoto for sure

 

[TensorBackhand]

You've watched his matches against Kou Lei?

I'd like to see Majin Buu vs Harimoto. But they are on opposite sides of draw.

Maybe Majin vs Lin Shidong

 

[NextLevel]

I'd like to see Majin Buu vs Harimoto. But they are on opposite sides of draw.

Maybe Majin vs Lin Shidong

His next opponent is very serious business. If he survives that, then whoever he plays next should blank him. But I don't expect him to survive.

 

[TensorBackhand]

His next opponent is very serious business. If he survives that, then whoever he plays next should blank him. But I don't expect him to survive.

other than Kanak, is Majin the best US player? Any reason he shouldn't go to olympics?

 

[NextLevel]

other than Kanak, is Majin the best US player? Any reason he shouldn't go to olympics?

He probably is the best player. However, I do think the waiting period after you change nationality is very long, so it depends on how long he has had his citizenship for (assuming he does have it) and how old he was before becoming a citizen. Right now, his country can be listed as USA simply because it is his sponsor association, not necessarily because he is a citizen. I can't see anything that says ITTF has changed their waiting periods.

 

[TensorBackhand]

He probably is the best player. However, I do think the waiting period after you change nationality is very long, so it depends on how long he has had his citizenship for (assuming he does have it) and how old he was before becoming a citizen. Right now, his country can be listed as USA simply because it is his sponsor association, not necessarily because he is a citizen. I can't see anything that says ITTF has changed their waiting periods.

oh that makes sense. Because he seems somewhat new to the US. so it wouldn't make sense that he got his citizenship so quickly.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

He probably is the best player. However, I do think the waiting period after you change nationality is very long, so it depends on how long he has had his citizenship for (assuming he does have it) and how old he was before becoming a citizen. Right now, his country can be listed as USA simply because it is his sponsor association, not necessarily because he is a citizen. I can't see anything that says ITTF has changed their waiting periods.

i'm pretty sure ITTF events/wtt events you need to be citizen

IOC events has waiting period and are quite long, which is based on the age of acquiring new citizenship